Gutu CID boss in court for deploying cop facing murder charge
Gutu CID Officer-In-Charge, Inspector Edward Chiweta has appeared at the Magistrates Court in Masvingo facing a charge of negligence of duty after he deployed a junior on suspension for murder to active duty.
After being deployed, the junior, Constable Farai Simudzirai (43) allegedly went on to shoot and kill an innocent passenger who was at the back of a Mazda B1800 vehicle that was travelling along Beitbridge-Masvingo Highway.
The matter is before Magistrate Misheck Brian Munyaradzi and Chiweta is charged with Contravening Paragraph 34 of the Schedule to the Police Act Chapter 11:10 as read with Section 29A and 34 of the Said Act, “Omitting or neglecting to perform any duty, or performing any duty in an improper manner.
Chiweta was recently transferred from Mwenezi to Gutu.
Simudzirai was on suspension for allegedly murdering another Police officer, Constable Privilege Hove on April 21, 2024, in Karoi. A Police officer who has a criminal case at the courts is suspended from active duty until the matter is finalized.
Chiweta deployed Simudzirai to duty on March 16, 2025 and Simudzirai allegedly shot and killed Shadreck Madzore (24) near Rutenga, Mwenezi.
Madzore was a passenger in the Mazda B1800 when Simudzirai and another Police Officer in an unmarked vehicle came across them on the highway. Simudzirai tried to stop the Mazda B1800 but sensing danger because Simudzirai’s vehicle had no Police logo and the area is known for robberies, the driver of the Mazda pickup vehicle drove away at high speed. It is then that Simudzirai allegedly started shooting at the vehicle as they chased it. The vehicle only stopped at a Police roadblock and that is when it was realized that Madzore had been shot dead and the vehicle had relatives who were coming from a family function.
Simudzirai was suspended by then Officer Commanding Masvingo Province, Commissioner Crispen Charumbira on July 23, 2024.
The State is claiming that Chiweta was well aware that Simudzirai was on suspension as he was a witness when Simudzirai was served his suspension letter by a Chief Superintendent Tshuma. The State is also arguing that Chiweta cannot overrule a suspension given by a Commissioner.
Witnesses in the case against Chiweta are his alleged deployees, Simudzirai and Simbabure and Chief Superintendent Tshuma.
